Page 6 March 27, 2014 TORRANCE TRIBUNE Up and Adam Rivalries in The Air By Adam Serrao There is nothing better than a good oldfashioned rivalry game to push the baseball season into full swing. All those who seem to favor the intensity and pure passion exhibited in those rivalry games were certainly not dissatisfied with the showdown between the North High Saxons and the West High Warriors. There is no questioning the fact that these two teams just simply don’t like each other. Because of that fact, you can expect a highly competitive match every time they take the field opposite one another. This time was no different. Coming off of a horrible loss just one day prior, the Saxons were able to rebound nicely and effectively against a West team that has been struggling so far to start this season. Unable to match North’s offensive firepower on the day, the Warriors couldn’t pull away with a win, ultimately falling to the Saxons 7-4 last Wednesday afternoon at North High. The Saxons’ 13-4 loss at the hands of Palos Verdes Peninsula the day prior to their matchup with West High was not typical of how their season has gone thus far. The Warriors just happened to be the next team on the schedule in a game in which the Saxons and head coach Mike Demaria knew that they had to bounce back. “They could have curled up and quit after the shellacking against Peninsula,” Demaria said. “But they showed mental toughness. I’m happy with the way they responded.” North responded with two runs in the first inning and another two runs in the second inning to jump out to an early 4-1 lead. It was Gota Tamasaki who singled home the first run of the game for North and Jacob Peck who drilled a double to right-center for the 2-0 advantage. After the Warriors scored their first run of the game in the top of the second, Daniel Cobos doubled to right-center for an RBI and later scored on an Alex Gomez sacrifice fly. The Warriors were down, but not completely out of this one. West was able to cut into North’s lead in the top of the third inning when Masata Okawa singled to start a rally and Nyles Nygaard did something that isn’t often seen in the high school baseball game when he homered to left field to drive in both runs and make the game 4-3 still in favor of North. West kept the rally going, keeping North scoreless over the next three innings and adding a run in the top of the sixth when Trevor Mallett led off by being hit by a pitch. He was later brought in by a Cody Wissler single and all of a sudden it was a brand new ballgame, all tied up at four runs apiece. That’s when North decided it was time to step it up. With one out in the bottom of the sixth inning, Armando Rodriguez singled, Jonathan Narimatsu added an infield hit, and Cobos came through for the Saxons again with ON APRIL 7 VEGAS LEAGUE STARTS! COME JOIN THE FUN! Every Monday at 6:30PM for 19 weeks at PV Bowl Then go to Las Vegas on Saturday, August 23! PRIZE MONEY! Call Rick at (310) 326-5120 to reserve your spot! yet another extra base hit, scoring two with his triple to left-centerfield. “He threw me five straight curveballs,” Cobos said. “It was a little rough. But I had my hands back the whole time and got my hands through and I just drove it.” Cobos didn’t only drive the ball, but he drove the Saxons to a much-needed victory over their rivals from the west side of town. For the Warriors, it was their second loss in a row and fourth in the last five games. “We’re obviously not playing very good baseball right now,” West head coach Juan Cueva related. “We have to figure things out quickly.” The good thing for Cueva and the Warriors (2-4, 0-0) is that the season is young. They still have a few games left before league play begins and the real crux of the season comes forward. The Saxons (4-4), on the other hand, will fight on to play another game, happy with their big win at home. “Oh, its huge because it’s a rivalry game at home,” Cobos said. “You get beat, you get it in the paper--it’s a little embarrassing. But you bounce back. There’s nothing you can do but bounce back.” The Saxons won’t have to bounce back from this one as they are sitting pretty with a big win now attached to their schedule. South High The South High Spartans, under head coach Grady Sain, are heavily favored to be one of the better baseball teams in the Pioneer League this season. The Spartans have already shown flashes of brilliance early on this season with big wins over teams like Mira Costa, Banning and Bellflower. Last Thursday afternoon at South High, however, the Banning Pilots were back for revenge after their previous 5-3 loss to South High in the semifinals of the El Segundo Tournament and revenge is exactly what they got. Allowing only one run all day to the Spartans, Gino Brockway pitched a fivehitter with six strikeouts for the Pilots in a 4-1 win. South’s only run of the game came in the second inning at the hands of sophomore Matt Mavrosakis, but the Spartans were unable to muster much of anything else all game long. The long season has just begun for South (4-2, 0-0), who will face-off against West High this week in a rivalry game between the two teams. Torrance High The Torrance Tartars have attempted to go streaking early on in the season, winning consecutive games against California, San Pedro and Paramount as they rounded out the El Segundo Tournament with three straight wins. Narbonne welcomed the Tartars to its side of the neighborhood, though, and ended all of the fun that head coach Ollie Turner and company seemed to be having. Producing offense late, Narbonne scored five runs in the New York, He Loves You By Adam Serrao It’s official. Phil Jackson has accepted a role in the nation’s number one market to be the new president of the New York Knicks. The move further crushes the dreams of an already destitute and shattered Laker fan base this season. While it was clear that players and fans alike wanted nothing more than to see Jackson back with the Los Angeles Lakers in any possible role that could have been available, the owners of the team couldn’t reach a consensus to bring him back in any way. By not offering Jackson a position, the Lakers could have lost a major upper hand in the next couple of years when signing free agents will be of the utmost “Now that Jackson is gone for good, whose fault is it really importance to bring this once-proud franchise back to prominence. Now that Jackson is gone for good, whose fault is it really and what do the Lakers plan to do next? Upon Jackson’s institution as the Knicks new president, he seemed to be saying all of the right things. “There’s no better place to win than New York City,” said Jackson last Tuesday morning when he was officially announced as the team’s president. It was a somewhat odd statement to make considering the fact that the Knicks haven’t won a championship in over 40 years and as of press time were well below the .500 mark and in ninth place, out of the playoffs, in the Eastern Conference standings. Jackson plans to change all of that, though, and bring winning back to the state of New York. On his current contract, he will have five years to do it, which may just be enough time to rebuild a currently struggling franchise. Current New York Knicks owner James Dolan has been under fire in past years for not knowing how to handle his team yet still wanting complete power over all decisions regarding it. Jackson’s signing means that Dolan will cede all power to the “Zen Master” and will do so “willingly and gratefully.” That, as odd as it seems for anyone who knows Dolan, is perhaps a good decision considering Jackson has won a record 11 NBA titles as a coach and has also won two championship rings as a member of the New York Knicks in his younger days. With 229 postseason wins and 13 NBA Finals appearances, Jackson has all of the experience necessary to do a good job in his new role--especially considering the fact that his stats alone trump those of the Knicks in their entire 68-year history as a franchise (186 postseason wins, eight NBA Finals appearances). “I am by no means an expert in basketball,” Dolan said. “I’m a fan, but my expertise lies in managing companies and new businesses. So I think I’m a little out of my element when it comes to the team.” Odd that he would finally admit that after years of distress from within the organization, but now that he has, Dolan hopes to use Jackson’s seemingly infinite basketball knowledge--merging his stats as a coach together with his franchise in order to create a winning product on the floor. So why didn’t the Lakers make that decision? It was clear that Phil wanted to be back in Los Angeles in order to work alongside his fiancée and president/governor of the Lakers, Jeanie Buss. He wanted to be involved with an organization that he helped gain five rings. The fans and the players of Los Angeles wanted him there too. Unfortunately, the other owners did not. When the most successful owner of all time, Jerry Buss, passed away, it is said that it was his wish to keep the ownership of the team within the family as it is now. Jackson was looking for more power than was available in the Lakers front office. With the Knicks, he received the power to make all personnel moves and all basketball decisions. What people fail to understand is that the Lakers already have people in place, doing those jobs as it is. As great a thought as it was to bring Phil back in to be involved in some way, shape or form with the organization, there simply wasn’t room enough for him. Unfortunately, that now means that Jackson will take his pedigree to the East Coast. The bad part about Jackson not being in the purple and gold any longer means that come free agency, players will look to join him in New York rather than consider coming to the Lakers. Simply Jackson’s presence in the front office of the Knicks means that New York is now the prime destination for all great players in the NBA. That includes the likes of LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony (who will now almost certainly remain put), or even Kevin Durant and many others. By not getting Jackson involved, the Lakers may have lost out on an easy upper hand to improve their team in the coming years. To look at things optimistically, however, now that Phil isn’t just hanging out there to be had, the Lakers can finally move on. He is locked up for at least the next five years in New York, so now the Lakers must move on. The contention between Jeanie and Jim Buss should fade. Future coaches will not be held to such lofty expectations. Free agents will know what they are getting and unlike Dwight Howard, not expect Phil to take over the reins after a three game losing streak. With the front office built the way it is in Los Angeles, there was no way that Phil Jackson was going to be hired by the Lakers. It is better for everyone involved that he is now officially off the table. Nothing will ever replace the glory years of Jackson and the Lakers marching directly towards five championships and seven Finals appearances in 10 years. Those moments will never disappear from the minds of those who were around to experience them. But now, times have changed. Both Jackson and the Lakers have moved on. It remains to be seen whether Jackson can be good at an office gig at all--whether he can build a team from the ground up, recruit players and get superstars to come play underneath him. Phil Jackson can certainly coach players to a championship. He has proven that. Now it remains to be seen whether he can put together a team for coaching. While he tries his luck on the East Coast, the Lakers will be looking to regain their sea legs and move on from an utterly tumultuous season; perhaps the worst in franchise history. Not even Phil Jackson can save them now, but for the sake of the late, great Jerry Buss, Jim and Jeanie better get the boat turned around soon. Adam Serrao - Asixlion@Earthlink.net • Verch Insurance Services Auto • Commercial Auto • Business Liability • Workers Comp Watercraft • Motorhome • Health (Individual & Group) Homeowners • Life • Renters • Restaurants / Bars For all your insurance needs, Give Us a Call Today! 310-322-1626 Lic.# 0G13457 www.verchinsurance.com 302 West Grand Ave.,Suite 8 • El Segundo,CA 90245 Since 1988 and what do the Lakers plan to do next?” See Up and Adam, page 9
Torrance 03_27_14
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